Trestle



8: W. L. OLAAR. TRBSTLE.

No. 585,506. Patented June 29,1897.

NTTED STATES PATENT FFICE.

SAMUEL S. CLAAR AND WILLIAM L. CLAAR, OF BEDFORD, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRESTLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 585,506, dated June 29, 1897.

Application filed March 11, 1897.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, SAMUEL S. CLAAR and XVILLIAM L. OLAAR, of Bedford, in the county of Bedfordand State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Trestle, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention has for its purpose to provide a trestle of such superior construction that it may be used in a multiplicity of different connections-such, for example, as supporting material on horizontal surfaces, supporting scaffolding on ladders, and supporting scaffolding or hoisting devices 011 the ridges or combs of roofs.

This specification is a disclosure of several forms of our invention, while the claims do fine the actual scope of the conception.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of our invention used for supporting material horizontally. Fig. 2 illustrates the manner of supporting scaffolding on a ladder having inclined disposition; Fig. 3 illustrates the manner of supporting scaffolding on vertically-extending ladders. Fig. 4 illustrates the folded position of the trestle. Fig. 5 shows a second manner of arranging the trestles on inclined ladders, and Figs. 6 and 7 show the arrangement of the trestle in connection with roofs of houses.

The trestle consists in a main or body member 8, one end of which is reduced and carries bearings 9, in which is journaled the pin 10 of the two legs 11. The legs 11 are rigidly connected to each other by a cross-bar 12, located at approximately their middle. The free ends of the legs 11 are provided with a series of transversely-alined openings capable of receiving a pin 13. The remaining or wider end of the body-section 8 is provided with a metallic plate 14:, formed with a transverse bearing receiving the pin 15 of the two additional legs 16. The legs 16 are rigidly connected with each other by means of a transverse pin 17, similar to the pin 12. The two legs 11 are held such a distance apart that the legs 11 may swing between the legs 16, as shown in the drawings. The pin 12 is ex- $e1ia1 No. 627,031. (No model.)

tended beyond the outer sides of the legs 11, so as to engage with the respective legs 16 when the two pairs of legs are crossed, as shown in Fig.1. The free ends of the legs 16 are provided with openings in which pins similar to the pins 13 may be inserted, if desired. The openings in the legs 11 and those in the legs 16 are capable of registering with each other, so that one of the pins 13 maybe passed through the openings to lock the legs in a certain position with reference to each other. The plate 14. has its outer edge turned laterally and inward to form a hooked flange 18. This flange is capable of engaging with rungs of a ladder or with other devices, so as to support the trestle.

The trestle constructed as above described is capable of a great number of diverse uses, some of which are shown in the drawings.

The simplest use of the trestle is that shown at the left of Fig. 1, where the legs 16 and 11 are simply crossed to hold the body portion 8 horizontally. This forms a simple trestle which may support any object horizontally, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. At the right of Fig. 1 two trestles are combined and a pin 19 passed vertically through the main portions 8 of the trestles, so as to hold the main portions in the form of a Roman cross. A pin 20, similar to the pin 13 previously described, is passed through the legs 16 of one trestle and is engaged with the inner sides of one leg 11 and of one leg 16 of the companion trestle. This holds the two trestles rigidly in connection with each other and provides a support which is braced in all four directions; Such a support will stand alone more firmly than the support shown at the left of Fig. 1.

Fig. 2 shows the trestle applied to an inclined ladder, so as to support scaffolding from the ladder. In this application the hooked flanges 1S engage the rungs of the ladder and the legs 11 and 16 are connected with each other by pins 13, so as to engage the rungs and support the trestle in the positions shown. In Fig. 3 the arrangement is the same, excepting that the ladder runs ver-.

tically, and the trestles may be made to engage with the walls of the building, or, as

shown with reference to the lowermost trestle in Fig. 3, the trestles may be simply suspended from the ladder, so as to support'objects on the ladder.

Fig. 5 shows the trestles arranged on an inclined ladder and serving to brace the ladder against the vertical walls of the building. The trestles in this case are arranged as will be understood from the previous descriptions.

The use of the trestles on the roofs of houses is illustrated in Figs. 6 and '7. Fig. (3 shows the trestles arranged to support scaffolding useful, for example, in building chimneys. Here the legs 11 are connected with each other and the legs 16 are respectively connected to the legs 11, holding the legs 16 horizontally, so that they may support horizontal scaffolding. Two trestles are employed in this arrangement, Fig. '7 shows an arrangement of the trestles which enables a hoisting apparatus to be attached thereto at the combing of the roof. Here two trestles are employed and the legs 11 are removed from each trestle. Then the body portions 8 are respectively laid against the inclined portion of the roof and the bearings 9 connected with each other by a transverse pin. The legs 16 are next inclined upward above the body portion 8 and connected with each other at their free ends, so as to form a superstructure to which hoisting devices may be attached.

Fig. 4 illustrates the manner in which the trestles may be folded into compact form for transportation. This is done by moving the legs 11 between the legs 16 and causing each to lie flat against the body portion 8.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination of a main member, one end of which is of less width than the opposite end, two pairs of legs respectively pivoted to each end of the main member and located two at each side edge thereof, the two legs at the reduced end of the main'member being capable of swinging between the legs of the opposite end, means rigidly connecting the members of the pairs of legs, and a pin adjustable on the legs to regulate the disposition thereof.

2. The combination of a main member, one end of which is of less width than the opposite end, two pairs of legs respectively pivoted at the ends of the main member, and arranged two legs at each side edge thereof, the legs at the reduced end of the main member being capable of swinging between the legs at the opposite end, a rigid connection between the members of each pair of legs, and means for holding the pairs of legs adjustably in connection with each other.

SAMUEL S. CLAAR.

WILLIAM L. GLAAR.

lVitnesses:

JAMES F. BONNER, J OHON H. EARNEsT. 

